This invention relates to the area of disposable paint trays and, more particularly, to a biodegradable disposable paint tray made from molded pulp and coated or laminated with recycled polyethylene or other poly laminate material or bio film.
Painters use trays to hold usable quantities of paint for rollers and brushes. A tray's reservoir typically holds 1 to 3 quarts of paint. Most paint trays are made of metal, non-biodegradable plastic or other similar materials. But because paint trays are often time consuming, messy and difficult to clean and maintain, many painters prefer disposable trays, which they use only once or until a specific project is completed, and then discard. While disposable trays are convenient and efficient, they contribute to the growing problem of waste produced throughout the world, and particularly in the United States.
The waste problem is less severe when refuse is biodegradable and/or recyclable. But disposable paint trays are generally made of rigid plastic, which is made from synthetic petrochemical compounds formulated in a laboratory. The combinations of elements formed do not exist in nature, so there is no corresponding microorganism that is able to process them. So once the plastic product is formed, no process of nature can break it back down into the petroleum resins from which it is made. So the refuse, once buried, persists forever.
In contrast, products in a relatively natural form will quickly decompose and return to nature. So natural plant, animal or mineral-based products biodegrade quickly. And molded pulp products are among the most quickly biodegradable products known. Generally they take only two to five months to fully biodegrade under normal conditions.
Molded pulp is made from recycled paper pulp fiber, which is a post-consumer waste byproduct. It is already used in many applications. For example, fast food restaurants use molded pulp drink trays to help customers carry multiple cups. Manufacturers use molded pulp for product packaging in the forms of rigid end caps, corner guards, trays, bracing and blocking to provide structural integrity and protect goods from damage during transport. Distributors use it for pallets, stacking and packaging. And because of its biodegradability, gardeners use it as a container for plants.
Beside biodegradability, molded pulp provides the added benefit of using recycled material. This is beneficial because paper accounts for approximately 40% of municipal waste. In fact, the United States alone uses more than 100 million tons of paper each year. The paper industry is the third largest consumer of energy in the United States, and is one of the largest water polluters in the world.
But recycled paper ameliorates many of these deleterious impacts. For example, recycled paper uses 60-70% less energy to produce than virgin pulp. It uses 55% less water, reduces water pollution by 35%, reduces air pollution by 74% and eliminates many toxic pollutants. And recycled pulp helps preserve forests by reducing the need for loggers to cut new timber.
A biodegradable disposable paint tray is desirable, but the inherent properties that make molded pulp earth-friendly also make it a poor paint receptacle. Molded pulp is very porous and quickly absorbs moisture. Saturated with moisture, molded pulp loses its rigidity and begins to deteriorate. It is therefore desirable to provide a product that combines the biodegradability of molded pulp with the utility of a plastic paint tray.